Jerry Brown's literary flourish takes aim at pro-business ballot measure

Supporters of a ballot initiative to suspend the state’s landmark greenhouse gas law were hoping to present it to voters as a reasonable suspension of a burdensome environmental law during tough economic times.

That might be the campaign message, but writing the official ballot description is the job of the attorney general. And apparently, Atty. Gen. Jerry Brown doesn’t see this particular measure quite that way.

Here’s how Brown’s office has determined the measure should appear before voters, if it ever makes it to the ballot: “Suspends air pollution control laws requiring major polluters to report and reduce greenhouse gas emissions that cause global warming.”

"I wonder if he's running for governor," Assemblyman Dan Logue (R-Marysville), a backer of the initiative, quipped after reading the summary. "This looks like he handed this over to the environmental community and asked them to write this summary for them."

Logue said backers of the measure were contemplating challenging the attorney general's summary in court.

--Anthony York in Sacramento